[Amended 4-7-2003 ATM by Art. 25; 5-21-2018 ATM by Art. 31]
The Town of Abington, Massachusetts, is hereby divided into the following Zoning Districts.
Full Title
Short Name
High Density Residential
R-20
Medium Density Residential
R-30
Low Density Residential
R-40
General Commercial
GC
Highway Commercial
HC
Industrial
I
Flood Plain and Wetlands Protection
FW
Watershed Protection District
WPD
Business Development
BD
Transit Oriented Development District
TOD
Central Business District
CBD
Multiple Use Planned Development District
MUPDD
Transitional Commercial District
TCD
[Amended 4-7-2003 ATM by Art. 25; 5-21-2012 STM by Art. 1]
The Zoning Map for the Town of Abington shall include the following maps. The location and boundaries of the Zoning Districts shall be and are as shown on a map entitled, "Town of Abington, Massachusetts, Zoning Map," dated February 3, 2003, which is incorporated into this Bylaw by reference. The locations and boundaries of the Flood Plain Watershed Protection District shall be and are as shown on a map entitled, Town of Abington, Zoning Map, as adopted by the May 3, 1976 Town Meeting (the "1976 Flood Plain Map") and as shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Map prepared for FEMA, dated and effective on July 17, 2012, with respect to the following panels shown on the map panels of the Plymouth County FIRM that are wholly or partially within the Town of Abington, including Map Panels; 25023C0069J, 25023C0088J, 25023C0089J, 25023C0093J, 25023C0157J, 25023C0176J, 25023C0177J, 25023C0178J, 25023C0179J, and 25023C0181J. Furthermore, the exact boundaries of the Floodplain District shall be defined as the floodplain areas shown on the 1976 Flood Plain Zoning Map and shall include the 100-year base flood elevations and all of the special flood hazard areas within the Town of Abington as shown on the FIRM and as further defined by the Plymouth County Flood Insurance Study report dated July 17, 2012 (FIS). The enumerated FIRM panels and the FIS report are hereby incorporated by reference and are on file with the Town Clerk and Planning Department. The authenticity of the Zoning Map shall be identified by the signature of the Town Clerk, and said Bylaw and Map shall be on file with the Town Clerk.[1]
[1]
Editor’s Note: Said Zoning Map is also included in the online version of the Code of the Town of Abington (eCode360®).
Any change in the location of boundaries of a Zoning District hereafter made through the amendment of this bylaw shall be indicated by the alteration of such map and the map thus altered as declared to be part of the bylaw thus amended. It shall be the responsibility of the Planning Board to direct such alterations.
Where any uncertainty exists with respect to the boundary of any district as shown on the Zoning Map the following rules apply:
A. 
Where a boundary is indicated as a street, railroad, watercourse or other body of water it shall be construed to be the centerline of middle thereof, or where such boundary approximates a Town boundary, then to the limits of the Town boundary.
B. 
Where a boundary is indicated as following approximately or parallel to a street sideline, railroad, watercourse, or other body of water, it shall be construed to be parallel thereto and at such distance there from, as dimensioned on the Zoning Map. If no dimension is given such distance shall be determined by the use of the scale shown on the Zoning Map.
C. 
Where a dimensioned boundary coincides with a lot line, the boundary established by Tax Assessor records as of 1975 shall be construed to be the lot line.
D. 
Where a boundary is indicated as intersecting the centerline of a street, railroad, watercourse or other water body, it shall be construed to intersect at right angles to said centerline, or in the case of a curved centerline, at right angle to the tangent to the curve at the point of intersection.
E. 
The Flood Plain and Wetlands Protection District shall be and hereby is established as an overlay district which shall include the floodplain areas shown on the 1976 Flood Plain Zoning Map and the 100-year base flood elevations and all of the special flood hazard areas within the Town of Abington that are shown on the FIRM and the FIS that are incorporated by reference into the Zoning Map and this Zoning Bylaw. The Flood Plain and Wetlands Protection District boundary lines shown on the 1976 Flood Plain Zoning Map shall be determined by the use of the scale appearing on that map. If a conflict between the boundary illustrated on the 1976 Flood Plain Zoning Map and actual field conditions, the affected party may request a special permit to allow an exception according to the procedures set forth under Zoning Bylaw § 175-35G.
[Amended 5-21-2012 STM by Art. 1]
The Building Inspector in consultation with the Planning Board shall have the authority to interpret district boundaries where there is some question in the interpretation of the rules in this article or where boundaries on the ground are unclear or at variance with those on the Zoning Map.